Vegetarianism

Vegetarianism:

The Growing Concern in America

Every year there are 9,425,000,000 animals slaughtered for consumption in the United States (Gelfand, 2003). This kind of knowledge can cause

anyone to become a vegetarian. However, there are many different types of vegetarians, which can be based on the treatment of animals, and by being a vegetarian leads to many benefits.

There are many different forms of vegetarianism, but the main reason behind vegetarianism is the practice of not consuming meat with or without the use of other animal derivatives ("Vegetarianism", 2006). The three main categories of vegetarians are; lacto-vegetarian, lacto-ovo vegetarian, and veganism. Lacto-vegetarians are vegetarians that include dairy products in their everyday diets ("Lacto-vegetarians", 2006). Lacto-ovo vegetarians are vegetarians that are willing to consume egg and dairy products ("Lacto-ovo", 2006). Veganism is the stricter form of vegetarianism. Vegans have a way of life that shuns away from using animals and animal products for any purpose ("Veganism", 2006). Vegetarians, regardless of classification, have prohibited foods they cannot eat. Lacto-vegetarians are not allowed to eat meat, fish, poultry, or eggs. Lacto-ovo vegetarians are not permitted to eat meat, fish, or poultry. Vegetarians who are not categorized under lacto or lacto-ovo do not eat meat, but can eat small amounts of fish or poultry. Vegans are never allowed to eat meat, fish, poultry, egg or dairy products, and are not allowed to use any product that contains animal by-products (Dingott & Dwyer, 2000). Regardless of the classification for a vegetarian, all vegetarians have the same views when it comes to consuming animal products. While there may be some extremely radical groups of vegetarians the reason for being a vegetarian is for humanity.

One of the main reasons why people become vegetarians is for the ethical treatment of animals. Chickens and cows are two species that have a lot of debate on the means in which they are mass produced. Within the United States there are over 300 million egg laying hens that lay 250 eggs a year causing the egg production to add up to 75 billion eggs laid a year. Egg laying hens are confined in battery cages, which are small wire cages that are stacked in tiers, lined up in rows, and are stocked in huge warehouses. The cages have many downsides for the chickens; the cages are 16 inches wide, with four hens to a cage and allow for four inches per hen. Birds cannot stretch their wings or legs, fulfill normal behavioral patters or social needs, suffer from severe feather loss, and are covered with bruises and scratches. Laying hens have part of their beaks cut off to keep the hens from pecking at each other. Debeaking is known to be a painful process that involves cutting through bone, cartilage, and soft tissue. There are many health issues when it comes to laying hens, such as fatty liver syndrome, cage layer fatigue, osteoporosis, and spent hen. Fatty liver syndrome is when the liver cells work overtime to produce the fat and protein for egg yolks and accumulate extra fat. After a certain amount of time, hens can become too tired to pass another egg and possibly die. This is known as cage layer fatigue. Osteoporosis happens when the hens' bodies lose more calcium to form eggshells than is accumulated from their daily diet. Lancaster Farming states, "... a hen will use a quantity of calcium for yearly egg production that is greater than her entire skeleton by 30-fold or more." Hens that do not get the right amount of calcium can suffer from broken bones, paralysis, or death. After one year in egg production, hens are sent off to slaughter; from there they can be put in soups, pot pies, and many other low grade chicken products (Factory Egg Production, 2006). A laying hen's life is extremely painful physically and psychologically. People who do not eat chickens boycott the chicken industry and reduce the pain and suffering these birds go through.

Unlike chickens, cows have a larger debate on their ethical treatment for many different reasons. Cattle that are meant to be for industry are born on the range and remain there for quite some time. They are not protected against weather, dehydration, and are exposed to elements that can possibly cause them to die. With these elements facing all the cattle, injured or ill cows do no receive the necessary medical attention. Some cattle, while out on the range, suffer from cancer eye. Cancer eye is an illness that eats at the eye and face causing a crater in the side of the animal's head. During the retrieving of the cattle, humans often frighten the animals causing injuries. The cattle can often suffer for days without receiving care and often die. Ailing cows are dragged, beaten, and pushed with tractors on their way to slaughter. Before cattle are sent off to slaughter, they spend their last months in feedlots, which are crowded by the thousands into dusty, manure-laden pens. The air is often thick with harmful bacteria leading the cattle to be at risk for respiratory disease. For the duration of the cattle feedlot time, they are implanted with growth-promoting hormones and fed abnormally rich diets designed to fatten for profit; cattle are, in nature, suited to eat grass-based, high fiber diets. These new, rich diets contribute to metabolic disorders. At the slaughterhouse, nearly 250 cattle are killed every hour. Slaughterhouses' assembly works at such a fast pace, that it makes it difficult to treat animals humanely. A "Meat and Poultry" article states, "Good handling is extremely difficult if equipment is "maxed out" all the time. It is impossible to have a good attitude toward cattle if employees have to constantly over exert themselves, and thus transfer all that stress right down to the animals, just to keep up with the lines." During the slaughter process the United States Department of Agriculture oversees the treatment of animals in the meat plants under, the Humane Slaughter Act. However, the enforcement of the Act and law varies dramatically (Factory Beef Production, 2006). Sir Paul McCartney stated, "If slaughterhouses had glass walls everyone would be vegetarian." Having a humanitarian outlook on animal treatment can cause a happier or at least a more ethical way of living for a cow and chicken.

While being a vegetarian, the benefits of this lifestyle come to the surface. According to Neal Bernard, MD, "The beef industry has contributed